Parcel-post sticker



' T. R. GAUTIER.

PARCEL PdsT STICKER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. B. 1919- RENEWED SEPT. 22, I922 1,435,.5 19, v Patented No v. 14, 1922.

anoew'roz %1 Moi/1421 Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

nnirsn'srarss I ew .1 earner-- c me a 'rnnvon RANDALL GAUTIER, on YONKERS, new yonnnssrenon, BY ma ma ASSIGN- MEETS, TO NASHUA GU'MMED 8t COATED PAPER COMPANY, OF .TSI'ASIIUA, TIEYV HAMPSHIRE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Tnnvon RANDALL GA TLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Yonkers, WVestchester County, State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Parcel-Post Stickers, of which the following i a specification.

This invention relates to bundle fasteners of the character known generally as parcel post stickers. These devices consist of two short sections of adhesive tapefastened together in some manner so as to constitute a detachable connection within the meaning of the postal laws. In usingthe device the bundles to be forwarded by parcel post may be sealed as to all of its folds but one with ordinary gummed tape, and this one. fold is sealed with a parcel post sticker in such manner that one of the'pieces of tapeconstituting the sticker is fastenedwholly to one side of the fold and the other piece to the other ide of thefold so that the postal inspector may open the bundle for inspection by separating thedetachable connection between the two parts of the sticker, and may refasten it without the use of additional string or tape.

The object of thepresent invention is to provide an article of this class which is composed solely of paper tape, the two parts having a detachable connection formed of interlocking parts of the two tape sections. the parts being so designed that the sticker can be made in large quantities by automatic machinery, so that the cost of the sticker is but little more than the cost of a corresponding length of tape.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sticker of this class in which the locking parts are so designed as to hold together under any pull within the breaking strain of the paper employed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sticker which cannotbe separated by being pulled apart in any direction and which presents no protruding parts of a kind to catch in handling the package and cause the fastener to be torn or disengaged.

With the above objects in view my invention consists of the tructure shown and described in the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of sticker is illustrated.

PARCEL-POST STICKER. V

In said drawings, 1

bodying my invention;

' Application filed February s, 1919, Serial naarasaa Renewed September 22, 1922. Serial No. 589,916.

i Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bundle. fastened with sealing tape and a sticker em- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the sticker tion to the bundle; v

- Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the sticker detached from each other; and

with its parts connected ready for applicas Fig. dis a longitudinal section along the middle line of the sticker. a

The sticker comprises two parts 1 and 2, respectively, each of which consists of a short sectionofcomparatively widegummed tape having one end reinforced with a short section of the same tape, with the two gnmmed faces stuck together to thereby form an. ungummed end in which the inter locking parts are formed.

of the e The part '2 of the sticker is provided in the edge forming the end of the reinforced section, with two short slits 4: forming between them a flap 5 which may be turned out of the plane of thesticker in the manner shown in Fig. 3 when thevtwo parts are to be assembled. 4

. e A similar, butoppositely facing, flap his also formed in the reinforced portion of the part 2 by two longitudinal cuts spaced to correspond with the slits 4L .and by. a trans verse cut joining the inner ends of the slits.

For interlocking with the tongues of section 2, section 1 is provided with a pair of parallel slots 7 spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the distance between the bases or turning axes'of the two flaps 4 and 6, so that when the tongue of section 2are thrust through section 1 they are released to flatten back of their own stiffness to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the two parts will be securely interlocked. against displacement through relative movement in any direction. I

'The sticker is applied to the bundle as indicated in Fig. 1, that is, all the foldsof the bundle may be sealed with ordinary tape except one end fold, which will be socured bythe sticker as shown. When the I bundle is opened by detaching the connected parts of the sticker the flaps will fold out after the manner of a bag, so thatthe -con tentsmay be inspected orwithdrawn. After I inspection the flaps can be refolded and the two parts locked together, leaving the bum die securely fastened as before the inspection;

I am aware that it has been heretofore proposed to form stickers of interlocked tape sections in which the lock consisted of a tongue or ear on one section thrust into a slit in the other. In all such devices of which I am aware the edge of the tongue fits normally in a corner of the slit in such manner that a direct pull tending to separate the parts pulls the tongue against the end of the slit after the manner of a cutting edge, so that unless the paper is heavy and of high grade, the sticker will not hold the bundle securely in the rough handling which it may receive in transit.

In my improved sticker the pull of the slit against the tongue is distributed against the entire base of the tongue so that there is little or no tendency to tear the slots of part 1 or the slits forming the tongue of part 2.

It will also be noted that the slots of part 1 are very narrow and fit closely under the base of the tongues. Bythis arrangement the inherent stiffness of the tongues is suificient to hold the two parts of the sticker against separation when pulled apart in a direction transverse to their plane. When, however, the edges of the tongue are lifted, as shown in Fig. 3, the slotted piece may be readily removed from the tongue. This feature of the sticker is oi particular importance for the reason that the most common happening tending to separate the parts is for the edge 8 of the slotted member to catch on some projection and be pulled directly outward from the bundle.

While I have shown and. described a preferred form of my improved sticker, it will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the details shown except in so far as such limitations are recited in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A parcel po'st sticker comprising two sections of gumnied tape having interlocking connections "formed of portions of the tape, said connections comprising a pair of slots in one tape section, said slots extending transversely of the length of the tape, a pair or tongues in the other sectioncoop'erating with the slots and projecting in opposite direct-ions.

2. A parcel post sticker comprising two sections of gumme'd tape having interlocking connections formed of portions of the tape, said connections comprising a pair of parallel slots in one tape section, said slots extending transversely of the length of the tape, a pair of tongues in the other section cooperating with the slots, the said; tongues extending longitudinally of the tape section and projecting in oppositedirections.

3. A parcel post sticker comprising two sections of gumm'ed tape each having one end reinforced, said sections having an interlocking connection formed in'said reinforced parts and comprising a pair of narrow parallelslots extending transversely of one piece of the tape with the ends of the slots terminating withinthe margins of the tape, and a pair of'tongues on the other piece of tape, said tongues having their base lines parallel and substantially equal in length to the length of the slots and separated from each other by a distance-substz-i-ntially corresponding to the distance between the slots.

Signed at New York, in the county oi.- New York and State of New York, this 6th day oi December, 1918.

TREVOR RANDALL GAUTIER; 

